1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to flavor compositions and methods for making flavor compositions and particularly to Maillard flavor compositions, methods for making Maillard compositions, and their use for enhancing palatability of comestible compositions.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well-known that many flavors, colors, and aromas associated with cooking processes result from nonenzymatic, or nonenzymic, browning. Generally, nonenzymic browning comprises pyrolysis, carmelization, and Maillard reactions. Of these, the Maillard reaction may be the most significant. Discovered in 1912, the Maillard reaction is actually a group of complex chemical reactions between available carbonyl groups and available amino groups. In food systems, reducing groups can be found on reducing sugars and amino groups can be found on free amino acids, peptides, and proteins. Initially, a reactive carbonyl group of a reducing sugar condenses with a free amino group, with a concomitant loss of a water molecule. The resultant N-substituted glycoaldosylamine is not stable. The aldosylamine compound rearranges, through an Amadori rearrangement, to form a ketosamine. Ketosamines that are so-formed may further react through any of the following three pathways: (a) further dehydration to form reductones and dehydroreductones; (b) hydrolytic fission to form short chain products, such as diacetyl, acetol, pyruvaldehyde, and the like, which can, in turn, undergo Strecker degradation with additional amino groups to form aldehydes, and condensation, to form aldols; and (c) loss of water molecules, followed by reaction with additional amino groups and water, followed by condensation and/or polymerization into melanoids. Factors that affect the rate and/or extent of Maillard reactions include among others the temperature, water activity (Aw), and pH. The Maillard reaction is enhanced by high temperature, low moisture levels (e.g., Aw from about 0.6 to about 0.7), and alkaline pH. The skilled artisan will appreciate that Maillard reactions are thus very complex and a great variety of reaction products can be generated. At each stage of the Maillard reaction, and under specified conditions, the reaction may generate compounds that contribute to the palatability of a food or to a unique flavor profile associated with that food cooked in a particular way.
Emulsions in food systems are also well known. Both oil-in-water (e.g., salad dressings, milk) and water-in-oil (e.g., butter, margarine) emulsions are common. WO9962357 discloses emulsions used for various purposes in the food industry, including delivery of flavor compositions. US20080038428 proposes using emulsions with an aqueous continuous phase as a means of conducting Maillard reactions. WO2007060177 discloses an oil-in-water emulsion wherein the oil droplets are structured using emulsifiers that can be useful for performing a Maillard reaction. WO200033671 discloses processes for producing Maillard reaction aroma products in an emulsifier and water mixture. However, no oil is used and the processes result in a product that is solid at temperatures lower than 80° C., which makes the product very difficult to handle and introduce into food products. These systems are useful but inefficient for conducting Maillard reactions and delivering Maillard compositions useful for enhancing palatability. There is, therefore, a need for new and efficient methods for producing Maillard reaction products and Maillard compositions that are useful for enhancing palatability.